New AirPort Express to bundle wireless remote control?

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  • Reply 21 of 63
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    people seem to be forgetting a key little bit: apple asked griffin to stop making an adapter for the ipod that would turn it into a universal remote control. remember? wasn't it called powerpod or something? heck, macaddict even printed photos of their protoype from a macworld. griffin still made it, but for the pocketpc, i believe (though someone retrofitted it to work with ipods).



    so look for bluetooth in the next ipods, to be used as a universal remote for everything.
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  • Reply 22 of 63
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rok

    people seem to be forgetting a key little bit: apple asked griffin to stop making an adapter for the ipod that would turn it into a universal remote control. remember? wasn't it called powerpod or something? heck, macaddict even printed photos of their protoype from a macworld. griffin still made it, but for the pocketpc, i believe (though someone retrofitted it to work with ipods).



    so look for bluetooth in the next ipods, to be used as a universal remote for everything.




    BUT the iPod hasn't got input - in a digital hub you'd want to have the ability to change things etc. I mean you might be in your living room - receive a call and want to write down an appointment - if it's an iPod you can't add an item to iCal - if it's a tablet you can. But then tablets are quite fragile to be used as remotes. It would need to be durable, small and inexpensive - not exactly an iPod.



    Bose have a good system for controlling remotely audio and TV - it uses a touch sensitive LCD screen and is oval shaped - this kind of thing would be perfect.
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  • Reply 23 of 63
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    BUT the iPod hasn't got input - in a digital hub you'd want to have the ability to change things etc. I mean you might be in your living room - receive a call and want to write down an appointment - if it's an iPod you can't add an item to iCal - if it's a tablet you can. But then tablets are quite fragile to be used as remotes. It would need to be durable, small and inexpensive - not exactly an iPod.



    Bose have a good system for controlling remotely audio and TV - it uses a touch sensitive LCD screen and is oval shaped - this kind of thing would be perfect.




    well, yeah, but the ipod-as-remote would be a "nice to have" not a "need to have" and that's what a lot of the apple business model revolves around. they've got everything ready for you out of the box on the need to have scale, then they sell you on the stuff that would be nice to have as extra. so you could still get up and manage your itunes lists etc. on your mac, but wouldn't it be so much better if you bought an ipod, and not only could you manage your playlists with it, and create playlists on the go from your couch, but also have a copy of your library synced on your ipod ready to go with you when you walked out the door?



    plus, recall that apple is trying the "made for iPod" licensing, not only to keep standards for peripherals high, but i bet you it's also to keep peripheral makers from creating any direct competitors to anything they plan on releasing.
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  • Reply 24 of 63
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    54mbps might be fast enough but.. maybe, I don't see it happening for full quality DVDs yet - although a Mac mini would become more attractive with video streaming.



    Hm, funny. I seem to recall Apple releasing some new video technology:

    H-Two-Sixty-Something?



    And I also recall seeing decoder chips being relatively cheap.



    Hm.
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  • Reply 25 of 63
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sCreeD

    Hm, funny. I seem to recall Apple releasing some new video technology:

    H-Two-Sixty-Something?



    And I also recall seeing decoder chips being relatively cheap.



    Hm.




    H.264 is CPU intensive which is why high specs are needed to view HD.
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  • Reply 26 of 63
    sworthysworthy Posts: 71member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    H.264 is CPU intensive which is why high specs are needed to view HD.



    Yes, not many systems can play HD, but it's very scaleable and will be played on cell phones, etc.
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  • Reply 27 of 63
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy





    I don't have the unit, so is that real, or did you modify it for my amusement?
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  • Reply 28 of 63
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by melgross

    I don't have the unit, so is that real, or did you modify it for my amusement?



    This is an exact screen-shot of what appears after turning on the firewall for iTunes 4.8 under Tiger. I don't know which unit you're referring to - I have neither Airport nor Airport Express.
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  • Reply 29 of 63
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    HomeSync has debuted with Tiger (in the server version) maybe the tablet could be to do with that. I reckon if it's just a remote it will need some sort of screen but knowing Apple it'll probably just be buttons.



    No, it will be more than just buttons. If Apple is going to make a remote, it will be the mother of all remotes. A remote that can control the iPod, a remote to control the tv... remote to control your computer. THAT is the Apple way.



    Besides, what better way to make the mother of all remotes than by simultaneously building one that solves the "mother of all thermal challenges". Just keep that G5 on the desktop and connect to it all "Apple Remote Desktop" like. Not much processing power needed that way; well what power is needed is provided by the desktop as that is where the work would physically be done at.
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  • Reply 30 of 63
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    No, it will be more than just buttons. If Apple is going to make a remote, it will be the mother of all remotes. A remote that can control the iPod, a remote to control the tv... remote to control your computer. THAT is the Apple way.



    Uh, no, that's not the Apple way at all.
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  • Reply 31 of 63
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    Besides, what better way to make the mother of all remotes than by simultaneously building one that solves the "mother of all thermal challenges". Just keep that G5 on the desktop and connect to it all "Apple Remote Desktop" like. Not much processing power needed that way; well what power is needed is provided by the desktop as that is where the work would physically be done at.



    If Apple are heading for a digital hub then you have the content on your computer and you control it from a remote - it's a neat idea but why not just wait till HD TVs come out and then you can hook up a Mac mini to a TV - with a HD resolution screen. Although some sort of remote is needed.



    I quite often wish I could send something to the TV downstairs - even though have a laptop it would be great to have an integrated system - hat doesn't require expensive set-ups.
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  • Reply 32 of 63
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    This is an exact screen-shot of what appears after turning on the firewall for iTunes 4.8 under Tiger. I don't know which unit you're referring to - I have neither Airport nor Airport Express.



    I'l have to look on the machine I installed 10.4 on. I thought it needed Airport or express for that to come up.



    Thanks.
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  • Reply 33 of 63
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by melgross

    I'l have to look on the machine I installed 10.4 on. I thought it needed Airport or express for that to come up.



    Thanks.




    No, you just go into system preferences into the sharing pane and turn off iTunes in the FireWall - you need to have a FireWall On to do this - it isn't by default!
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  • Reply 34 of 63
    argonautargonaut Posts: 130member
    Quote:

    3. 54Mb is PLENTY of bandwidth for DVD video. DVDs are limited by their spec to a little over 10Mb. HD-DVDs are talking about doubling that and using better compression to get HD. You'd still have half the pipe left over under optimal conditions, and enough to keep a full screen HD broadcast going with only half the bandwidth.





    Hmmmm... Streaming video on 54Mbs wireless?? I don't think so. Have you ever tried it?



    I had grand visions of using my modded XBOX & Xbox Media Centre to connect wirelessly to my PC/Mac servers to stream DivX/etc... no go.. it's just too slow.. dropped frames/pauses/etc..etc.. Had to resort to hard wiring 100mbit.



    I had the same problem trying to play DivX/etc. from my servers wirelessly on my wifes new PowerBook 15"...



    And if you have 128bit encryption enabled on your wireless LAN then you can completely forget it - using WPA on 54G slows your connection dramatically.. do a search..



    Until we get faster, more robust & secure wireless technology I don't think you are gonna see streaming video wirelessly around the home... maybe things will improve with the H.264 codec.. but I have yet to test this..



    streaming mp3 & aac is easy as the bandwidth requirements are ridiculously low... not so with most video codecs..

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  • Reply 35 of 63
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    If Apple are heading for a digital hub then you have the content on your computer and you control it from a remote - it's a neat idea but why not just wait till HD TVs come out and then you can hook up a Mac mini to a TV - with a HD resolution screen. Although some sort of remote is needed.



    This approach you mention doesn't seem right... to me. By doing this you then have 2 hubs (one for watching videos and one for all sorts of other entertainment and desktop type work), thereby doing away with the definition of a hub (not to say there is anything wrong with this, especially with the introduction of XGrid). But it goes against everything Apple has been working towards and takes away the flexibility and integration.



    Besides, you can't get a video card to drive big HD screens like that into the Mac mini. BUT, the PowerMacs can drive Apple's big 30" Cinema Screen. And if you had a small 5X7 device that would wirelessly mirror the desktop machine, that would be incredible. THAT would bring true meaning to the "hub" concept. You could take your screen/remote with you anywhere and still be connected to that hub.



    I mention a 5X7 size here specifically, only because it seems like a perfect size to take around and hold in your hand. Much like you do with an envelope of photos that you flip through while sitting next to your relatives on the couch. It is something that is easy for us to relate to and easy to manage in the palm of your hand.
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  • Reply 36 of 63
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    Besides, you can't get a video card to drive big HD screens like that into the Mac mini.



    I'm not entirely sure.



    The Mac mini can easily drive a 50 inch plasma display. What it can't do is provide the full resolution of the 30 inch Apple display, 2560x1600. However, according to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI ), the Mac mini's single link connector *is* enough for full HD (1920x1080). The 32 MB graphics card should be enough as well.
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  • Reply 37 of 63
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    I'm not entirely sure.



    The Mac mini can easily drive a 50 inch plasma display. What it can't do is provide the full resolution of the 30 inch Apple display, 2560x1600. However, according to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI ), the Mac mini's single link connector *is* enough for full HD (1920x1080). The 32 MB graphics card should be enough as well.




    I did not know that.
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  • Reply 38 of 63
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    I'm not entirely sure.



    The Mac mini can easily drive a 50 inch plasma display. What it can't do is provide the full resolution of the 30 inch Apple display, 2560x1600. However, according to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI ), the Mac mini's single link connector *is* enough for full HD (1920x1080). The 32 MB graphics card should be enough as well.




    The Mini can't do HD in either 1080i or 1080p, and may not provide a good experiance with 720p either, when .264 is being used.



    The cpu is too slow for that. It will render a widescreen standard def DVD to 1080p however.
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  • Reply 39 of 63
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by melgross

    The Mini can't do HD in either 1080i or 1080p, and may not provide a good experiance with 720p either, when .264 is being used.



    The cpu is too slow for that. It will render a widescreen standard def DVD to 1080p however.




    rongold wasn't talking about H.264.
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  • Reply 40 of 63
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    The mini might not be able to decode full HD, but it could stream it to an AirPort that could using a hardware decoder.
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